Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

If there is a challenge at all in the context of this European treaty debate, from the point of view of a parliamentarian and a member of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, and with other colleagues on House committees who have been subjected to the scrutiny process so far, I can say that it is deeply flawed. I do not know who is responsible for the dispersal of funds, whether it be the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission or the Government of the day. However, we will be tilting at windmills if we seriously think we are addressing scrutiny while operating under the current system in the Oireachtas. That is my main point in the context of the drive towards adoption of the treaty.

In the context of foreign policy, there is a triple lock. I am not totally in favour of it, as Macedonia constituted a peacekeeping effort in which Ireland was unable to take part because the Chinese vetoed a UN resolution owing to Macedonia's recognition of Taiwan. That is where the triple lock is flawed. I do not believe that it will change in the short term, but the issue needs to be addressed in the medium to long term.